Search results for 'pulled pork'

Spice-Rubbed Pulled Pork

15 Nov

Tasked with making dinner for my father-in-law this weekend, the decision was made that it should be a southern feast: pulled pork, cornbread and coleslaw. But having made the the same pulled pork for a while now, I felt like I  needed a new recipe. After some searching, I came across a great spice rub which I altered slightly to make my own.  Last night, we sat down to a dinner that was undeniably a huge success: both in-laws, J and I ate far too much. The pork came out beautifully: sweet, a little bit spicy, very well-rounded. And the kicker? Just a touch of smoke. So. Good. Everyone go make pulled pork RIGHT NOW.

Serves 6-8.

Ingredients

Rub

2 tb black pepper
1.5 tb cayenne
2 tb chili powder
2 tb cumin
2 tb brown sugar
1 tb dried oregano
3tb paprika
2 tb salt
1 ts white sugar

1 3-4lb pork butt
1/4 c water
1/2 ts liquid smoke* – optional, but very tasty
1.5 c barbecue sauce
1 lime

Directions

1. Mix the spices for the rub in a small bowl.
2. Thoroughly coat the pork in the spice rub. (You  may have some left over: it’ll be great on any protein.) Wrap up the pork as tightly as possible in plastic wrap and put in the fridge anywhere from three hours to a full day. The longer you leave it, the more the spices will infuse into the meat.
3. When you’re ready to cook, get out the slow cooker and set it to low.
4. Add in 1/4c water, the liquid smoke and the pork. Set the timer for 8 hours and walk away.
5. Remove the pork from the cooker into a large bowl, pulling it apart with two forks. Discard fat.
6. Put the pork into a pot big enough to handle it.  Add the bbq sauce about 1/3 of a cup at a time and incorporating some of the liquid left over from the slow cooker until you get it as saucy as you like. (Stop making jokes….)
7. Serve with a wedge of lime – or, if you’re making sandwiches, squeeze some lime juice into the pork before you serve it.
8. Get out of the way of the stampede to the table!

Advertisement

Tags: , , ,

Pulled Pork-itude

31 Aug

So I made the Kick-A** Mexican Pulled Pork this weekend and finally remembered to take pictures!

J, being the excellent cook he is, busted out the tortilla press his mom brought back from Belize for him and made tortillas from scratch.  Additionally, he did up a corn/pineapple/sweet pepper salad to go with the pulled pork soft tacos. We cooked, we ate, we fell into comas.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Tags: , , , , ,

Kick-A** Mexican Pulled Pork

17 Aug

It was a happy day in our house when we busted out the slow cooker for its maiden voyage into the Land of Yummy. I’d made this recipe in a large saucepan in the oven a couple of times before and while it was good, it paled in comparison to the slow cooker method. When you can cook meat that long at that low a temperature, it’s bound to be good. (Note: this recipe is easy but you will need to start it early in the day. It’s an nine-hour process when all is said and done.)

Ingredients

3.5lb pork butt (it’s the shoulder. Please don’t go into the store and ask for pork ass. Actually…do that.)
1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper
2tb vegetable oil
2 diced onions
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 diced jalapeno (keep the seeds if you want more heat)
3tb chili powder
2ts ground coriander
2 bay leaves
2tb cumin
1/3c tomato paste
1 can (14oz) tomatoes
1/2c cilantro
1 minced green onion

Directions

1. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper.

2. In a Dutch oven or large sauce pan, heat the oil to medium-high and sear pork on all sides.

3. Remove pork from pan and set aside on a plate. Reduce the heat to medium and add onions, garlic, jalapeno, chili powder and cumin. Stir occasionally and look for onions to soften and darken slightly, roughly 4 minutes. Add tomato paste and stir. After 2 minutes, add the tomatoes and break them up with a spoon. The tomatoes should loosen up the tasty bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Make sure they’re incorporated in this delicious concoction.

3a. Make sure you taste your sauce. If you think it needs a little salt or pepper, add it. Remember, though, that the flavours will intensify over the cooking process so aim for balance.

4. Transfer both the pork and sauce to the slow cooker. Set it to low for four hours. At four hours, turn the pork over and stir the sauce. Reset the timer for another four hours.

5. At the eight hour mark, remove the pork from the slow cooker, set aside in a large bowl and cover.  Let stand for 10 minutes and then shred with two forks. Meanwhile, return the sauce to the pan/Dutch oven and skim off the fat. Bring to a boil and let it boil for 20 minutes in order to thicken. Return the now-shredded pork to the sauce. Sprinkle final product with cilantro and green onion.

6. EAT IT, ALREADY. You’ve been waiting for eight hours and there are probably people with forks who are closing in on you with a hungry look in their eyes.

Tags: ,

Rich, Tangy BBQ Sauce

23 Apr

I’ve gotten pretty proficient at making pulled pork and I happen to like mine on the saucy side. I have two default recipes that I tend to use: one has a tomato-based, Mexican-flavoured sauce with onions, garlic, jalapenos and spices; the other is marinated in a spice rub over night and cooked in the slow cooker with a little water and some liquid smoke. Since I’m making the pulled pork myself, I thought I ought to make some BBQ sauce, too! I had molasses in the fridge and figured that’d be a good place to start! This recipe makes more than enough for a 3lb pork shoulder and would also be great on ribs!

Ingredients

1/2 c  molasses
1 1/2 c brewed coffee
1/2 c Dijon mustard
2/3 c ketchup
1/4 c soy sauce
2 tb Worcestershire
2 tb hot sauce
2 tb brown sugar, if necessary

Directions

1. Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
2. Allow the sauce to simmer for 30 minutes, reducing by about half. You may want to help the mustard dissolve in the sauce by pushing the small clumps that may form up against the sides of the pan.
3. Taste and season as necessary. Add more hot sauce if you like it hotter, the brown sugar if you like it sweeter, etc.

Tags: , , , ,

How Much Could I *Possibly* Eat at the Delicious Food Show?

24 Oct

So, it wasn’t the Toronto Underground Market that I checked out this Saturday, but the Delicious Food Show which I won tickets to back in September.  Since I’d been to TUM last month, I figured it would be okay to miss one in favour of something a little different. While it didn’t have that same, fun, camaraderie-inducing spirit, it was still an interesting show that featured a lot of higher end food and products.

Our first stop was to Cosmo’s Smoked Meats Ltd., who’s fantastic array of meat and cheese was staggering – and attracted quite a crowd. After sampling several yummy kielbasas and various cheeses, we walked away with a rich 4-year old cheddar and a 3-pack of hot sausages. Can’t wait to dive into those tout de suite!

Giant brick of cheese & sausages? Yes, please!

Continuing on our meanderings, we came across the fine folks who were giving out sumptuous veal meatballs stuffed with chevre. Oh, my. Next to them was the vendor we affectionately referred to as, “the goat cheese lady.” She had several kinds of cheese to sample, but we couldn’t say no to the triple cream goat’s milk brie. Served in a little condiment cup, this cheese was the epitome of luxury. Soft, creamy, just slightly tangy, it’s a good thing they didn’t have more – and that there was an impressive barrier between me and the rest of that cheese. I would  have done bad things to get more.

Rounding the corner, we found a Rodney’s outpost! There is a special place in my heart for Rodney’s oysters as they were the first I ever had. We bought half a dozen to split between the two of us and happily slurped up the briny treats. The sweet seafood sauce was particularly good on them (I’m not a big Tobasco fan) and we were very happy to see Marie Sharp’s hot sauce on the table. Not only is it our favourite brand of hot sauce on the planet, it’s from Belize! (My husband’s family is from Belize and we just took our first trip there together last year. We loved it so much that we’re returning this winter.)

Marie Sharp's Hot Sauce

Oysters downed, we tried a few other hot sauce booths but weren’t terrifically blown away by any. Then, lo and behold, we found the Marie Sharp’s booth! We already have several at home, but they were featuring some new flavours that were on the sweeter side…and then the insanely hot side. We chatted with the lovely folks for a while and, naturally, the lady who imports the sauce knows my husband’s family. Small country, small world. (Awesome hot sauce.)

And with what does one follow up oysters and hot sauce samples? Why, Belgian waffles of course! For my money, the Belgian waffle from The Wafflebar was the best thing I ate all night. Hot and fluffy on the inside and a little bit crispy on the outside, this thing was pure evil in the best way possible. Drizzled with caramel AND chocolate sauce and topped off with a dollop of whipped cream, the hubby and I were no doubt a site to see eating these things while attempting not to look like three-year olds. Whether or not that mission was accomplished, the waffles were wonderful and I highly recommend that you seek these fine wafflemakers out.

We also stopped by The Nutty Chocolatier and I sampled the red velvet fudge. I gather this is a new addition to their already large array of products and I suspect it will be very, very successful. I may just pop down to the one in the Beaches and buy out their entire supply.

“Okay…I think we’ve had enough samples,” I said. “Yeah, maybe you’re right.” That was the conversation we had four minutes before happening upon Hank Daddy’s BBQ booth. Oh, hello. While we opted not to have the pulled pork parfait – though there was temptation -we did get the pulled pork sandwich and a smoked sausage with sauteed onions and mustard. You know you’re getting a good sausage in a bun when it snaps when you bite into it. Really, really good.

“Okay, now we’re REALLY done. Let’s go wash our hands and head out.” Oh, but wait! Bunner’s bakery is giving away free cupcakes? Well, let’s not be silly. We definitely need one of those. I generally find vegan and gluten-free products pretty lacking in..um…everything, but I must say that these cupcakes were pretty damn good. We both had the red velvet and chocolate variety and not a crumb was left.

I was impressed by the variety of products – food and otherwise – that were available at the Delicious Food Show. I don’t know that Liberty Grand needed to have such a clubby presence, though. The music wasn’t bad but I often found that it was in competition with other vendors and it felt a little…out of place to me. Overall, though, I’m glad I went and tried just about every food under the sun.

Tags: , , , , , ,

Inaugural Toronto Underground Market!

26 Sep

I remember reading about this neat thing in San Francisco where different food vendors came together at one location to sell their amazing wares a few months ago. I bemoaned the fact that this wasn’t happening here, in a city filled with so much great food!

Over the next few months I started following more food-related Twitter accounts and came upon Toronto Underground Market. I was elated to see that they had taken up the mantle from the fine folks in San Fran! I waited very impatiently for the tickets to the first TUM event to go on sale and, as soon as they did, snapped up two as quickly as I could. Then began the month-long wait for the actual event at a great venue, the Evergreen Brick Works.  This place has a special meaning to many people, especially for my husband whose neighbour/babysitter/teacher poured her heart and soul into helping revitalize this space as it had long gone unused. Sadly, she passed away this past winter but we know she’d be beyond thrilled to see the BrickWorks being utilized for this kind of event.

Four of us embarked upon this food adventure with high hopes and cash in hand. All the plates and drinks were very reasonably priced from as low as $2 and up to $8 though we didn’t come across anything that much. Most of the dishes we sampled were in the $3-$4 range and were worth every penny. Our first stop was at the ever-sought-after La Carnita station. These guys have caught fire: they’re incredibly popular taco stand pops up from time to time downtown and the line ups start early. They’ve generated a cult following using Twitter and it showed when we arrived at the Brick Works. Their stand had – by far – the longest line but I can tell you that it was worth the 20 minute wait.

While I waited with The Hot Biscuit, the hubby and a friend went in search of beer and food. They brought back pints from Beau’s Lugtread Lager and absurdly delicious pulled pork quesadillas with pickled onions, cilantro and a slice of fresh jalapeno served with a tomato & melon gazpacho, courtesy of Shi-Naki. With another 10 minutes or so ahead of us in the La Carnita line, J headed over to the West Side Beef Co. and brought back stellar beef po’ boys. The teeny little slider weighed about 12 lbs and was stuffed with organic, fresh beef smothered in sauce, surrounded by a fresh, soft, sweet bun. Drool. Possibly the surprise-best dish of the night.

When we finally got to the front of the La Carnita line, we were greeted by some very friendly folks who took our order (2 each of the Mexican chorizo tacos and tacos de lengua) and gave us the requisite piece of art that always accompanies a La Carnita tasting. With one bite, we knew why these folks are so popular: the beef was spicy but very well balanced and the chorizo was tangy, smoky and paired nicely with sweet fruit. Definitely a hit and was unquestionably at or near the top of many, many people’s lists.

One of the good things about standing in line was chatting with the folks around us. People would have these fabulous plates of food and you couldn’t help but exclaim, “Gosh! That looks so good…where did you get it??!” One dish in particular looked so neat that we had to seek it out: deep fried quails eggs at Bistro Filipino. Happily, it was a slightly shorter line and, again, worth every minute. While  I waited, our friends sought out multi-flavoured rice at Vijaya’s & Krishna’s Pure South-Indian Vegetarian Cuisine while J went to track down more beer. The rice was big hit and a mammoth plate of food. Three kinds of rice and a few other things on the plate that could have been a meal unto itself.

Beer in hand, J returned and we got our order of quail eggs along with chicken marinated in annato seed served with a side of garlic rice and pickled vegetables. The eggs were as delectable as they looked: creamy, salty and piping hot. I could’ve gone back for several more servings  and I wouldn’t have been the only one. I overheard many “I just had to get more” conversations among those in line.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Those plates devoured,  we began our wait for dessert. The line for the various kinds of popovers at Popover Girl’s station was likely the most cheerful one. How could you not be happy waiting for these fluffy, buttery delights? There were savoury and sweet options available: bacon, cheddar, jalapeno, chocolate, red pepper & feta, pistachio tapenade, onion….take your pick. There are no incorrect choices here. The HB and I opted for the chocolate popover filled with pastry cream while our friend went for the cheddar option. Both smelled and tasted absolutely divine. We did our best to savour these pastries as best we could, but ultimately we found ourselves snarfling them down.

While debating going for Just-One-More-Dish, I couldn’t help but eye the macaroons at the Lunch Room’s table. A plate had already been purchased by the HB to take home to her boyfriend and after very little deliberation with myself, I decided that was a hell of a good idea.  A plate of four giant, chocolate-drizzled coconut macaroons for $3? I’d be silly NOT to get at LEAST one plate to eat later.  It was a good call: J and I dove into them when we got home and were not disappointed. The coconut inside was chewy and soft, sticking to your teeth in the best possible way. Hands down the best macaroons I’ve ever had.

Overall, this was one of the most fun food-related events I’ve ever had the chance to go to. It was well organized:  volunteers were thereto clean the little tables and empty garbage bins, to direct traffic and to answer any and all questions. Some of the vendors did run out of food but not until at least more than halfway through the night.  Having done event-work before, I was most impressed with how well this whole event turned out. If you’re lucky enough to get tickets to the one in October, I advise you to go earlier rather than later. Shuttle buses run from Broadview every half hour, but seating is limited. Go with an open mind and an empty stomach and you will leave one happy, full, foodie camper.

Tags: , , , , , ,

In Search of Smoky Perfection: BBQ in T.O.

6 Sep

Barbeque can be such a contentious matter.  Discussing your favourite spot for ribs or fried chicken among friends can lead to long debates about the merits of a dry rub over a wet, whether cornbread is ruined by the addition of jalapenos or which spot in the city smells the best upon entering. I am by no means a bbq snob: I like it all, so long as it’s cooked well. I do prefer sticky, messy wet ribs over the dry-rubbed product but I certainly don’t turn my nose up at them. I don’t believe that there is only one way to do barbeque and I’m on a mission to try it all at the best places Toronto has to offer.

The first bbq spot I tried out in our fair city was an old standby: Phil’s Original BBQ. This was my first taste of “real” barbeque and I was hooked. I recall the ribs, in particular, were excellent. It has been several years since I’ve been there – in fact, Restaurant Makeover hadn’t even come in yet. What say you, folks? Worth a repeat visit?

Next up was Memphis Smoke House. It’s a little further out of the core, at Yonge & Sheppard, but don’t let that stop you. In discussing this post with the husband the other day, we realized that this was the only joint that we found truly exciting. J had read an article in The Star about this place and how the owners had convinced the chef to relocate from Louisiana to Toronto to cook for them. We were blown away by the richness of the ribs, the delicious beans, the crumbly – but not dry – cornbread and the huge portions. It was clear that this was no ordinary bbq we were eating: this was being made by someone who’ done it for years and years and had just about perfected his craft.  Get a combo platter with Aunt Shirley’s BBQ sauce. We have been back several times and brought many others with us. The ribs, the pulled pork, the fries…everything gets a rave review.

Our next stop was the Cluck, Grunt & Low on Bayview. The less said about that the better. Suffice it to say that we were not surprised to see that it had closed within months of opening. The replacement, Highway 61, has fared much better. The food is pretty good, if not super-outstanding. It is, however, very comfortable and pretty good value for your buck.

Then popped up Stockyards.  I have recommended this place til I turned blue in the face. Their fried chicken is remarkably crispy on the outside, while juicy and tender (and molten-lava-hot) on the inside.  I’m not a huge fan of the carraway-laced coleslaw, though I do like the matchstick-thin cabbage. It’s really a personal taste thing. But let us not forget about the ribs! They are smoked to perfection and come with a tangy sauce that’s just ridiculously delicious. You can only get them three days a week, so go early. I can pretty much guarantee you will go often. It should be noted that there are – MAYBE – 20 seats and they are difficult to get. Either be prepared to wait for a spot or just get the take-out.

Finally on my bbq list? Hardys Hogtown Brasserie. My interest was piqued by a Toronto Life article a few months back that said the owner had built his own smoker out of giant drums. It was to open up just down the street from Stockyards, creating some healthy competition. Finally made it in last Friday, a few weeks after their soft opening. Two advantages Hardys has over Stockyards? It’s an actual restaurant and it’s licensed. The list craft beers on tap is a nice alternative to the standard Keith’s-n-Labatt at most places.

The coca-cola ribs were on special so my fellow diner and I ordered two 1/2 racks. My other companions ordered the regular ribs and the slider trio comprised of one pulled chicken, one pulled pork and one pulled brisket sandwich. We were then informed by our incredibly charming and gracious server that they were out of the regular ribs entirely and only had 2 1/4 racks left of the special. Ooooooookay. Shouldn’t the front of house know when a product runs out?

We changed our orders to the 2 1/4 racks of the special and a trio of sliders to split; J’s ribs were swapped out for a trio. Our onion ring apps arrived and they were dang good, if perhaps a little oily. Our mains arrived…sans the trio to split. Once again, our server had to explain that there was a mix up but that they would be happy to give us any other main on the house. She recommended the brisket sandwich, so we got that and the collard greens. All in all, once all the food had arrived, we had to admit that it was all excellent. The coca-cola ribs were sweet without being cloying; the brisket sandwich was piled high with tender, slathered brisket; the trio was perhaps a bit on the small side but delicious nonetheless. The sides of collard greens, potato salad and coleslaw were all completely devoured: always a good sign. Some work needs to be done on the communication between the kitchen and the front of house, but otherwise this was a great spot for friends to gather, have a couple drinks and nosh on some great barbeque. Is it better than Stockyards? Ask me again in a month when I go back for a comparison dinner.

Still to check out on my list? Barque, which has been getting insane rave reviews from all corners, and Lou Dawg’s. Where else do I need to go, my smokehouse-loving, rib-devouring friends?

Tags: , , , , , ,

Best Pub: The Auld Spot

27 Aug

J and I stumbled upon this place a couple of winters ago after shopping on the Danforth. We were starved and unimpressed with the treatment we’d received at well-known eatery down the street so we headed eastward in search of beer- and food-age. Seeing the quaint sign hanging above the pub entitled The Auld Spot, we knew we had to check it out.

We grabbed one of the tables toward the back of the roughly 50-seater neighbourhood pub and perused the menu. Our very friendly and knowledgeable waitress advised us that if we were looking for something a little different bevvie-wise, the St. Ambroise Apricot Wheat Ale was not to be missed. J went for it: I’m not really big on apricots. The pints arrived and we ordered a side of onion rings as we were only looking for a snack. J insisted I try the St. Ambroise so I hesitantly took a sip. Oh. Muh. Gah: where had this been all my life?!

We waited for our onion rings and watched the place fill up with people from the surrounding area, clearly regulars, and other weary shoppers. Platters and platters of oysters came flying out of the kitchen and J and I looked at each other with surprise. What had we stumbled upon here? When our rings arrived, they were piping hot, crispy and, importantly, the onion didn’t slide out in one bite. We devoured the basket in record time.

In subsequent visits, I’ve tried as much of the menu as possible. I have it on good authority that the mac & cheese is creamy, rich and delicious.  The pulled pork is excellent as is the burger and, well, everything anyone has tried. The place gets busy quickly, especially on a Friday, so get there as early as possible. (They have recently opened a second location at College & Grace so if you happen to be across town, you can still get their deliciousness.)

The Auld Spot is just one of those great pubs everyone wants in their ‘hood. It’s friendly, the food is reasonably priced and of good quality and it doesn’t look like every other pub you’ve been to in your life. You’ve got to check it out!

Oh, and on my birthday this year, we popped in for a snack and this time tried the oysters. The diners on our first visit were on to something: the oysters were briny and slippery and unquestionably fresh. Those other people on our first visit knew what they were doing!

Auld Spot on Urbanspoon
 

Death Row Meals Supper Club: Taco Madness!

16 Jan

Two hours.  Six creative, delicious tacos. Six alcohol pairings. One most excellent afternoon.

Created by the fine folks at Living. Loving.Local, Death Row Meals Supper Club brings together great chefs  in our fair city to produce their version of a particular dish. This month was hosted at Milagro Cantina, where the chefs crafted their own versions of a taco, showcasing their considerable talent and creativity.

We settled in about 15 minutes before the event was to begin and there was already a great buzz in the room. Upon signing up for it, no one knew exactly what theyd be feasting on and the anticipation was palpable. We sat at long tables, chatting with those we’d come with and those we had just met while wonderful smells wafted forth from the kitchen. Everyone curiously perused the score sheet we were given that listed all the tacos we would be sampling, as well as spots to score the tacos on taste, originality and presentation. There was also a spot reserved for a bonus point should we feel the desire to award it.

After a quick welcome from the host, out came the first round! Large plates of Rossy Earle’s gorgeous braised & pulled chipotle-smoked duck topped with chayote & tomato pickled slaw, culantro lime cream and duck skin chicharrons on top of green plantain tortilla tacos arrived in front of us. One bite in and the 60 or so people in attendance went quiet and a simultaneous, “mmmmmmmmmmmmmm” could be heard. What a fabulous way to start off this competition! Not only did this taco look great, the combination of flavours and textures hit all the right notes.

Next up was Steve Gonzalez’ grilled adobo pork with tomatillo and corn relish, roasted garlic and lime crema on top of a  refried bean tortilla.  While the idea of the refried bean tortilla seemed fabulous – it was certainly something we’d never seen – it did make it a little tough to eat the taco itself.  The tortilla didn’t hold together all that well and many of us found ourselves trying to trying to eat the tender pork medallions while holding everything together with our fingers. The pork did go nicely with the cold Corona, though.

Third on the docket was one that most of us were really looking forward to from the description: braised beef cheek and smoked beef tongue taco with avocado crema, pickled red onion, cilantro, and duo of house smoked hot sauces. Yes, please! The cheek was melt-in-your-mouth good and the smokiness of the two hot sauces came through loud and clear. This was messy deliciousness, folks. Chef Tom Davis did a nice job on this one and it paired beautifully with the Trapiche wine served. Definitely one of our faves.

On to the fourth – and to the dreaded tequila! (Tequila and I used to be amigos. Now, we are civil at best.) Charlies Burgers put forth their offering of a carne asada taco using smoked and grilled marinated kobe knuckle, fresh flour tortillas, salsa taquera garnished with grilled scallions.  This particular taco got mixed reviews at our table. It seemed that some diners got a nice, tender piece of meat while others had pieces that were chewy and tough to bite through. That’s a real shame considering the calibre of chef and how much others were enjoying theirs.

Chattering away with my table mates, I looked up to see that taco number five, created by Nick Liu, was arriving on those giant platters, along with some Steamwhistle. The platters were lowered on to the table and we all “oohed” and “aahhhed.” Ten perfectly round jicama “tortillas” with crispy octopus, smoked paprika caponata, chorizo bacon, spicy tomato aioli were gazed upon with nothing less than awe. We all dove – we were past politeness now – to grab one. The taco’s crunchy, crispy textures were an unexpected delight. The octopus was perfectly cooked and the hot sauce, while not tongue-searing, provided some nice spice. Pencils scribbled furiously when this one was finished up.

Finally, Arturo Anhalt delivered a taco de longaniza (a spicy stret style chorizo) en salsa verder, with onion and nopales (cactus). This particular taco definitely had the most depth of flavour, almost like eating a rich chili. It reminded me a bit of a molé: lots of rich flavour with notes of heat, citrus and chocolate. I also quite enjoyed the tortilla which had a great char on it. This was probably the most technically accomplished taco of the afternoon and felt like the chef was quite comfortable making it: like he’d been eating it all his life.

At the end of the day, most of us agreed that the octopus and duck tacos were our favourites. (In fact, during the post mortem with my dining companions, we decided the ultimate taco would be a combination…a “ducktopus” taco if you will.) Clearly the rest of the fine folks in attendance felt the same way as chef Liu and chef Earle’s offerings took the top two spots. Regardless of who won, it was such a fantastic way to spend an afternoon! Fabulous food, wonderful people, great vibe: no way to go wrong. Keep your eyes peeled for the next installment featuring up-and-coming sous chefs from around the city!

For some great photos, check out The Food Junkie Chronicles.

Tags: , , , ,


%d bloggers like this: